@trucklife-family wrote an excellent post - Applying Permaculture To My Life - Living So That Nothing Goes To Waste.
She spoke on one of the principles of permaculture:
In nature nothing is wasted
And she encouraged us to let nothing go to waste but to embrace it all!
That everything happens for a reason, to embrace what is happening and not waste the opportunity to learn from the many lessons that come to us throughout our lives.
That got me looking at how I was living. I like a simpler life and I want to keep my life simple.
One of the things to move me in this direction is to deal with clutter, both physical and mental clutter.
Image by Annalise Batista from Pixabay
My husband abhors clutter and he is the one that really got me to appreciate not having it around. Although it was a little hard at first to let go of my "collections of things" I do like the simplicity it brings and how things are much cleaner.
Then I got thinking
When I'm gone what will I be leaving behind? Will my things I have accumulated over the years be a burden for someone to have to clear out or will it bring some joy and fond memories?
My father was quite the collector and I was left with the task of taking care of his belongings when he passed away. A lot of his things I enjoyed sorting and sharing with the family but there were piles of stuff that were just junk. Perhaps it was because he had gone through the depression years where there wasn't the access to a lot of things and you utilized everything you had (this is a good lesson to learn). Maybe this was why there was so much stuff that he just couldn't let go of and it accumulated. It was of no real use to me but just something I had to clean up for selling the house.
I decided that instead of leaving stuff that I really don't cherish or have any use for, to someone else to deal with, I would take care of it myself! This would make for a simpler and I think happier life and perhaps freer too!
The Plan
Go systematically through the house, working at a small space each time so the job doesn't become to daunting. I don't want to over think things but just sort into 3 piles -
- stuff to get rid of
- stuff to think about
- keepers
Then there is my computer and online real estate and possessions which people wouldn't have a clue to access or what I have, things like how to access my Steem wallet and funds. Plus I have websites and products on Amazon, in my Etsy store and on Homesteaders Coop. All the passwords and access info needs to be organized and let my family know where it is.
Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay
This system can work good in the office too, having slots for mail, papers or whatever for things to throw out (recycle), things to consider later and things to attend to now.
Another way I have of dealing with mental clutter is through meditation, to go through the layers, letting things arise and pass away. Just observing. If I choose I can notice too, if there are issues that need some consideration or things that need attending to before I can move forward. When I can see things clearly and I'm not caught up in the midst of them, then I can take action - mentally and emotionally purge and clear out some of that extra baggage. This too, makes for a lighter, simpler life!
This and throwing off procrastination and laziness which tends to let things build.
Going forward, it's a matter of being more conscious of what I am bringing into my life. Being aware if there are things I am not using. Instead of letting them just sit around creating clutter, I can pass them on to someone who could use them. And remembering that permaculture principle:
Nothing in nature is wasted
Use the three Rs - Reduce, Reuse and Recycle or just plain eliminate from my life!
I feel a smile rising inside, setting this intention and hoping my musing may inspire others to simplify their life and along with @trucklife-family encourage folks to incorporate that permaculture principle into their life and let nothing go to waste!
FYI @trucklife-family has written other articles on permaculture and how it can be incorporated into your life, well worth checking out!
Images from Graphicstock unless otherwise sourced.
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